Penn State Intercom......April 4, 2002
Police use technology
to boost efficiency, safety
By Bill Campbell
Special
to Intercom
When
Penn State Police Services Officer Brian Bittner stops a car, his greatest
concern -- information on the vehicle and its driver -- is eased by technology.
Through the Mobile Data System in his patrol car, he can get almost instantaneous information on the stopped vehicle, the driver and the driver's criminal history, if any.
"A traffic stop is one of the most dangerous situations a police officer faces because you are walking into the unknown," Bittner, a four-year Penn State Police officer, said. "By getting pertinent information instantly through the in-car computer, we have a clearer idea of what we're dealing with."
In a traffic-stop situation, Bittner makes a 10-28, a license check on the vehicle, and a 10-27, an information check on the driver, through the Pennsylvania State Police database. In a matter of seconds, the relevant information appears on the computer screen in the patrol car. He also gets information on any outstanding warrants.
Under a Centre Region program called CRIMES, anytime a person has had contact with police in the region, his or her name is entered into a local database. Bittner can run a CRIMES check, and, if the person is in the system, he will get a local address, telephone number and the specific contact the person has had with police.
The Mobile Data System also provides for car-to-car communication through its Instant Messenger system. Officers in separate cars can communicate by computer about an incident, keeping their messages off the air and clearing the airwaves for emergency communication. These digitized messages are impossible to intercept.
"The speed of accessing data is amazing," Bittner said. "It takes the burden off our dispatchers. We stop a lot of cars and often there may be a time delay in getting back to us because of the pressure and the number of calls which the dispatcher has to handle. The data on the computer is instant. It is right there in front of you on the computer screen and it is complete. There is no need to call back to the dispatcher and ask additional questions.
"The system had some bumps initially since it is new technology, but, for the most part, it is now running well and functioning properly. It has helped me tremendously in terms of doing my job more effectively."
Seven Penn State Police cars are equipped with the system, which currently uses a Panasonic Toughbook, Model 47 laptop computer. It is mounted on a pedestal bolted to the floor of the patrol car and connected to a modem installed in the trunk.
According to Bruce Kline, Penn State Police assistant director for administrative services, the system, which was first operational for the National Governors' Association Conference in July 2000, was obtained under a continuing federal grant, which the State College Police Department wrote and applied for in 1996. Funding was provided under former President Clinton's initiative, Community Oriented Policing (COPS), which is intended to put more police officers on the street. One aspect of the program involves technology and the use of computers.
"From the feedback we've gotten, our officers have found it to be an effective system," he said. "It has a number of advantages. Because it is easy to use, the number of vehicle checks goes up. It encourages officers to make more checks since they get a response more quickly. For example, an officer patrolling near the airport may spot a parked pickup truck and make an electronic check on the license plate since it can be done quickly and easily. Just to verify that nothing is wrong is a benefit.
"The system significantly shortens response time. Instead of five to 10 minutes, the officer gets a response in 60 seconds. And the information does not have to be broadcast over the air. In addition, it frees up dispatcher time."
One of the staples of effective police work is quality investigative report writing. Poorly written or illegible reports can hamper an investigation. A new component of the Mobile Data System, field report writing, allows an officer to not only type a report in the field, but to transmit it electronically. It is to be implemented by the State College Police Department on a pilot basis next month.
"Once the report is transmitted to the office," Kline said, "the supervisor can have access electronically for approval or revision. After approval, it is made available electronically to the records clerk and then is automatically entered and sent to the CRIMES database. This kind of report writing is not only accurate and efficient, it gets officers out of the office and into their cars."
Technological advances such as the Mobile Data System and the department's electronic fingerprint system are playing a key role in police work, Kline said.
"Technology has impacted policing in a major way," he added. "It is most important because a primary function of police work is gathering information and talking to people. Information from individuals and information gathered over the Internet are vital. Technology has fostered new arenas of widespread mobile data. It may not help us catch a crook that we wouldn't have caught anyway, but it assists us in doing our jobs more effectively and efficiently.
"Other technological advances, including facial and voice recognition systems, biometrics technology and field DNA tests, will allow us to do things we couldn't do in the past. It's hard to project what the future holds, but there's no question there will be more advances."
Bill Campbell can be reached at wjc1@psu.edu.